Natural Hazards and the Cultural Heritage of Guatemala: an Overview from the Vantageof the Quirigua Archaeological Park1
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Mesoweb Articles Natural Hazards and the Cultural Heritage of Guatemala: An Overview from the Vantageof the Quirigua Archaeological Park1 José Crasborn Ministry of Culture and Sports Hardany Navarro National Commission for the Reduction of Disasters Introduction The Physical Environment of Guatemala Guatemala boasts a unique and varied cultural Guatemala’s natural territory covers 108,889 kmô heritage, not only in terms of the number of sites and is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, and artifacts, but also its nearly four thousand to the east by the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea), years of history. The geographical and geological Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, and to the conditions of our country, while providing the south by the Pacific Ocean. Guatemala extends defining characteristics of its physical environment, from 13º 44’ to 18º 30’ North latitude, and from also put the population and cultural heritage at 87º 24’ to 92º 14’ West longitude (Piedra Santa constant risk, with frequent natural disasters such 1996:1-2) (Figure 1). Guatemala can be divided into as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, three geographical and archaeological regions: and catastrophic flooding. These types of natural the Pacific Coast, the Highlands or Altiplano, events have increased in recent years, not only in their frequency but also in their magnitude, as influenced by climate change. This has forced us to become aware of the effect and impact of human activity on our natural environment and the resultant natural disasters, and it highlights the need to more effectively protect this environment on which human lives and our infrastructure and cultural heritage depend. Guatemala has suffered natural disasters on many occasions and there is much evidence of this at the archaeological site of Quirigua, an ancient Maya city located in the northeast of the country of Guatemala. Situated next to the Motagua River, near the point where it leaves the highlands and enters a flooplain before emptying into the Caribbean Sea, Quirigua’s location has left it vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding, as well as earthquakes given that the Motagua River follows an active tectonic fault line. This article presents evidence of the types of damage and losses that Quirigua has suffered due to these types of extreme events, especially those caused by hydrometeorological factors. 1 This paper was first presented at the Central American Seminar on the Conservation and Enhancement of Cultural Figure 1. Map of Guatemala and its territorial extent (by Heritage, Guatemala and El Salvador, May, 2011. J. Crasborn). 2011 Mesoweb: www.mesoweb.com/articles/Quirigua/Crasborn-Navarro-2011.pdf. Natural Hazzards and the Cultural Heritage of Guatemala 2 The Cultural Heritage of Guatemala and Threats from Natural Disasters We use the term “cultural heritage” to refer to those material assets (both movable and fixed), customs, and traditions of a country, which have special value (archaeological, historical, artistic, or spiritual) and help strengthen national identity. In the case of Guatemala, this heritage is quite large, being the result of a variety of historical processes that span a period of almost 4000 years. The cultural heritage of any country is at risk of damage and destruction from human sources, both accidental and intentional (Figure 4), as well as natural factors, including the sun, wind, rain and others (Figures 5). As these risks have been discussed in detail by other authors, this paper does not concentrate on them. It should be noted that natural damage can occur and be accelerated by various causes, among which are climate change and global warming. Guatemala, due to its geographical location and geological situation, is subject to frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, thunderstorms, landslides, and catastrophic Figure 2. Mountain ranges of Guatemala (from Piedra flooding, all of which have claimed human lives, Santa 1996:22). inflicted massive economic losses, and caused damage to the nation’s infrastructure and property. This has been the case ever since Guatemala’s and the Lowlands in the north. Each of these Colonial period, exemplified in the mudflow from zones features topography that rises from sea the Agua volcano in 1541 that forced the movement level to as high as 4000 meters above sea level, of the capital from the valley of Almolonga to that and each is characterized by distinctive climates of Panchoy, and subsequently the 1773 earthquake and vegetation (Dengo 1999:51-53; Piedra Santa 1996:1-2) (Figure 2). Administratively Guatemala is divided into eight regions, which are composed of 22 departments and further subdivided into 333 municipalities. In only three of these municipalities have no archaeological materials been found, and it is likely that this reflects a lack of investigation rather than a true lack of material evidence of ancient human occupation (Figure 3). According to data compiled by the Department of Prehispanic and Colonial Monuments (DEMOPRE) of the General Directorate of Cultural and Natural Heritage of Guatemala, there are at least 2200 archaeological sites in the country that date to the Prehispanic epoch, from 2000 BC until AD 1524, which must be added to the numerous monuments, houses, and churches from the Colonial (AD 1524-1821), Republican (AD 1821-1898) and Contemporary (AD 1898-1944) periods. While this presents Guatemala with a truly enviable wealth of archaeological and historical materials, it also presents a problem, given the truly enormous task of policing, maintaining, and protecting all of Figure 3. Political and regional divisions of Guatemala these sites and artifacts. (from Piedra Santa 1996:3). Natural Hazzards and the Cultural Heritage of Guatemala 3 Figure 4. Anthropogenic damage to monuments: graffito on Stela A of Quirigua (photo: M. Díaz, 2009). Figure 5. Damage from natural sources: eroded stone wall at Tikal (photo: J. Crasborn, 2010). Natural Hazzards and the Cultural Heritage of Guatemala 4 that forced another movement into the Valley of must be the guarantor of the implementation of La Ermita, where the capital remains at present this policy and at the same time the location where (Gellert 1994:3). Apart from these one cannot forget the diverse actions on this theme are unified, in to mention the tragic 1976 earthquake, which order to permit its future updating within the not only resulted in terrible destruction but also national and international contexts. It should be sparked an inventory and assessment of damage noted that the underlying goal of this policy is to Prehispanic and Colonial archaeological sites by based upon the desire to safeguard human life and UNESCO, the General Directorate of Cultural and prevent and ameliorate the effects on communities National Heritage of Guatemala, and the National and settlements of natural disasters, which are also Council for the Protection of Antigua, Guatemala. the cause of great economic losses to the country As well as providing a description of damages, and threaten the safe and sustainable development this report also included a list of technical needs of the nation. and their costs in order to repair the damages and guard against further deterioration (UNESCO Stages and Phases of Disasters 1985:26-49). It is important to note that in Guatemala There is a general recognition of a cyclical there are laws governing archaeological research sequence of interrelated stages called the “Cycle and the cataloguing of artifacts, which include of Disasters,” the stages of which are: prevention, penalties for damages to the national heritage. mitigation, preparedness, warning, response, However, there are still no specific national rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Originally laws, regulations, or a manual of procedures to “development” was considered a separate stage be followed in the case of damage from natural but has now been considered as integral to all other disasters, although many sites and museums stages. Development is seen as the cumulative and have their own contingency plans for disaster durable increase in the quality and quantity of prevention and reduction. The government did goods, services, and resources of a country and its establish the National Commission for Disaster people, coupled with social changes, with the aim Reduction (CONRED), which was created in of improving and maintaining safety and quality in 1969 following Hurricane Francelia. This of life without compromising resources for future organization is dedicated not only to responding generations. Therefore, the sequence mentioned to natural disasters but also to their prevention above, in order to effectively manage disasters, and minimization, through monitoring at-risk is designed to: prevent disasters, mitigate loss areas, the provision of an early warning system, in the event of disasters, prepare for probable and training. This institution prepared the consequences of disasters, warn of an imminent National Policy to Reduce the Risk of Disasters event, and respond to and recover quickly from in Guatemala, which was adopted by the national disasters. Tasks are carried out in three phases, government in December, 2010. It is the result corresponding to before, during, and after of interagency work between several different disasters. institutions and organizations, both public and private, under the coordination of the Executive Phases of Disaster Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Before: Pre-disaster activities (stages)